1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of BFE. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play begins in the late 90s, when blonde girls are disappearing and getting raped in a suburban town in Arizona. It also introduces the protagonist, Panny, who has just turned fourteen and is a young Asian-American girl. She is seen communicating with her friend, Nancy, who is blonde and works at Walgreens. Panny comes home to her uncle, Lefty, and her mother, Isabel, and she is offered a pair of earrings and plastic surgery for her birthday. Panny also starts writing letters to a Korean penpal, Hae-yoon or "Elizabeth", and the letters provide a sense of humor in the play.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion is when Panny accidentally dials the wrong number and calls Hugo, a twenty-year old Mormon. This moment is the intrusion because it provides a sense of change from the beginning of the play. It is at this moment that the dramatic action develops more rapidly since their relationship seems to blossom here. The semi-relationship they have will affect the ending, which is why this moment is so important.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
These events take place at this moment because Panny gets the wrong number from Nancy's mother. Panny was originally supposed to call Nancy, but she somehow has gotten the wrong number. Had she initially received the correct number, Panny would have never called Hugo, and their connection would have never developed.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
The dramatic questions are:
What will happen to Panny and Hugo's relationship?
Will Panny get plastic surgery?
Will Lefty and Isabel be able to form relationships as well?
How will the issue of the abduction of the blonde girls resolve?
5. Use Panny, Isabelle, or Lefty to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for one of the three designated characters.
What Lefty wants:
Eventually, Lefty realizes he wants a relationship with Evvie and start a family with her. His desires are stymied by a few obstacles, though. They are blocked by mostly a, b, and c.
a) Himself: he serves as his own obstacle because he is already a mature man and has not dated/had romantic or sexual intimacy in a very long time. Because of his recent lack of experience, he feels nervous and unsure of his wants at first. It seems that he is initially hesitant of indulging his wants, even though his desires are clear.
b) Another individual: when Lefty tries to spend time with Evvie, Isabel is disappointed that he is not eating dinner with her and Panny. She is upset by the fact that he would leave his family to spend time with someone else and looks down on his decision. Also, Evvie wants to be in a relationship with him as well but refuses to raise Panny or have another child because of her past experiences with her (now grown) daughter. The fact that she does not want to start a family with him drives a wedge in their relationship and his dream of having his own children.
c) Society: both Lefty and Evvie are both middle-aged and have not been intimate in a very long time. Though this is not explicitly mentioned in the play, it is implied and assumed by the audience that this is a "nonideal" relationship since it was awkward in the beginning (when they first started talking). Also, this is not mentioned, but they would be in an interracial relationship, which could possibly be a touchy subject in society.
d) Fate: There is not much mention of fate or religion between Lefty and Evvie's relationship or what Lefty wants, so this is not an obstacle.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. In your estimation what is the most theatrical moment in BFEand what happens during that moment which is so important to the outcome of the play?
The most theatrical moment of the play is possibly when Panny decides to go to Walgreens to see Hugo. After refusing to meet Hugo so many times and finally giving in, the dramatic action and tension of the play is at their peak. This moment is so tense because this decides what will become of Hugo and Panny. When Hugo gets upset and rejects Panny's apology, this is the climax. It is also important to the outcome of the play because if Panny never visited Walgreens, she would have never been abused by The Man, who she meets shortly after the meeting.
7. Provide at least three examples of images inBFE__. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The fact that Panny has to follow a tutorial for makeup rather than being taught by her own mother. This shows solitude and being alone.
The desert: it is an isolated place that is not really anywhere near civilization. This is where The Man takes Panny to abuse her, and she is left alone here at the end of the play.
When Lefty leaves Isabel's company. This depicts loneliness and isolation because Isabel is left alone in the house until the pizza boy arrives to deliver her boy. Even then, the pizza boy leaves Isabel all alone.
The title helps us understand the images in the play because BFE means Bum F*ck Egypt, which refers to a place in the middle of nowhere. This symbolizes isolation, which many of the characters seem to be in.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in BFE.
The themes in BFE include struggle of identity, loneliness/isolation, family, race, the struggles of beauty, love, rape, and strained relationships.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with BFE? Is family redefined in BFE and if so, in what ways?
Family is an interesting concept in this play. It seems that most, if not all, of the family relationships are broken or strained. For example, though Panny, Lefty, and Isabel are all a family, they don't seem to be particularly close. Panny calls them by their names, and Isabel couldn't even remember her own daughter's birthday or age. Lefty has also failed to realize that his niece's ears are not pierced and still bought her earrings. It is clear that this family is not close. Also, Evvie and her daughter aren't close either. It almost seems that they resent each other as well. It is implied that Jess does not talk to her mother, and Evvie is traumatized by the fact that she had to raise an, to her, ungrateful daughter. Family is redefined as not being particularly close in this play, as seen by the family relationships.
The play begins in the late 90s, when blonde girls are disappearing and getting raped in a suburban town in Arizona. It also introduces the protagonist, Panny, who has just turned fourteen and is a young Asian-American girl. She is seen communicating with her friend, Nancy, who is blonde and works at Walgreens. Panny comes home to her uncle, Lefty, and her mother, Isabel, and she is offered a pair of earrings and plastic surgery for her birthday. Panny also starts writing letters to a Korean penpal, Hae-yoon or "Elizabeth", and the letters provide a sense of humor in the play.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion is when Panny accidentally dials the wrong number and calls Hugo, a twenty-year old Mormon. This moment is the intrusion because it provides a sense of change from the beginning of the play. It is at this moment that the dramatic action develops more rapidly since their relationship seems to blossom here. The semi-relationship they have will affect the ending, which is why this moment is so important.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
These events take place at this moment because Panny gets the wrong number from Nancy's mother. Panny was originally supposed to call Nancy, but she somehow has gotten the wrong number. Had she initially received the correct number, Panny would have never called Hugo, and their connection would have never developed.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
The dramatic questions are:
5. Use Panny, Isabelle, or Lefty to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for one of the three designated characters.
What Lefty wants:
Eventually, Lefty realizes he wants a relationship with Evvie and start a family with her. His desires are stymied by a few obstacles, though. They are blocked by mostly a, b, and c.
a) Himself: he serves as his own obstacle because he is already a mature man and has not dated/had romantic or sexual intimacy in a very long time. Because of his recent lack of experience, he feels nervous and unsure of his wants at first. It seems that he is initially hesitant of indulging his wants, even though his desires are clear.
b) Another individual: when Lefty tries to spend time with Evvie, Isabel is disappointed that he is not eating dinner with her and Panny. She is upset by the fact that he would leave his family to spend time with someone else and looks down on his decision. Also, Evvie wants to be in a relationship with him as well but refuses to raise Panny or have another child because of her past experiences with her (now grown) daughter. The fact that she does not want to start a family with him drives a wedge in their relationship and his dream of having his own children.
c) Society: both Lefty and Evvie are both middle-aged and have not been intimate in a very long time. Though this is not explicitly mentioned in the play, it is implied and assumed by the audience that this is a "nonideal" relationship since it was awkward in the beginning (when they first started talking). Also, this is not mentioned, but they would be in an interracial relationship, which could possibly be a touchy subject in society.
d) Fate: There is not much mention of fate or religion between Lefty and Evvie's relationship or what Lefty wants, so this is not an obstacle.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. In your estimation what is the most theatrical moment in BFEand what happens during that moment which is so important to the outcome of the play?
The most theatrical moment of the play is possibly when Panny decides to go to Walgreens to see Hugo. After refusing to meet Hugo so many times and finally giving in, the dramatic action and tension of the play is at their peak. This moment is so tense because this decides what will become of Hugo and Panny. When Hugo gets upset and rejects Panny's apology, this is the climax. It is also important to the outcome of the play because if Panny never visited Walgreens, she would have never been abused by The Man, who she meets shortly after the meeting.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in BFE__. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The title helps us understand the images in the play because BFE means Bum F*ck Egypt, which refers to a place in the middle of nowhere. This symbolizes isolation, which many of the characters seem to be in.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in BFE.
The themes in BFE include struggle of identity, loneliness/isolation, family, race, the struggles of beauty, love, rape, and strained relationships.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with BFE? Is family redefined in BFE and if so, in what ways?
Family is an interesting concept in this play. It seems that most, if not all, of the family relationships are broken or strained. For example, though Panny, Lefty, and Isabel are all a family, they don't seem to be particularly close. Panny calls them by their names, and Isabel couldn't even remember her own daughter's birthday or age. Lefty has also failed to realize that his niece's ears are not pierced and still bought her earrings. It is clear that this family is not close. Also, Evvie and her daughter aren't close either. It almost seems that they resent each other as well. It is implied that Jess does not talk to her mother, and Evvie is traumatized by the fact that she had to raise an, to her, ungrateful daughter. Family is redefined as not being particularly close in this play, as seen by the family relationships.